Icy Driving - Seperate Accidents Kill Two

Posted: Mon 9:11 AM, Feb 20, 2006&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Mon 10:35 AM, Feb 20, 2006

2-20-06 - One person was killed and two others injured when a car and semi-truck collided near the Travis Street bridge in icy driving conditions. It happened on the southbound side of the highway around 4am.

Sherman police say Wasim Noor, a 25 year Oklahoma resident, and Abaid Bhatti, a 24 year old Oklahoma resident, were traveling south on Hwy 75 in the left lane. Noor was driving and Bhatti was the front passenger.

When the pair crossed the Texoma Parkway bridge, Noor lost control of his vehicle and it spun out of control. An 18-wheeler was in the same area and saw vehicle sliding. The truck driver changed lanes to try and avoid hitting the car but the collision was unavoidable.

The vehicles finally stopped in the center lane of Hwy 75 just north of Travis Street. The car caught fire and burned very rapidly. According to officers at the scene, the driver of the truck tractor used his fire extinguisher to try and put out the flames but the fire burned too rapidly.

The truck driver was able to pull Noor from the vehicle by cutting off his seatbelt and pulling him to the shoulder of the roadway. Tragically, the truck driver was unable to pull the passenger (Abaid Bhatti) from the vehicle as the fire spread throughout the car.

Wasim Noor was transported to Wilson N Jones hospital as he suffered numerous burns to his back, neck, and head. Abaid Bhatti died at the scene.

Police say Noor was taking Abaid Bhatti to DFW Airport so he could fly home to New York and see family.

Investigators closed the highway for three hours.

A seperate accident 150 yards away happened earlier that morning, killing one person in a vehicle rollover. Police say Itzel Arroyo of Denison was traveling north on Hwy 75 in her Lincoln Navigator. She had three passengers in the vehicle - her husband Angel Perez and their three children, ages 3, 9 and 12.

Police say it appears that Itzel Arroyo lost control of her vehicle as it crossed over the Texoma Parkway bridge. The vehicle rolled over and landed in the center median. Angel Perez's body was partially ejected from the vehicle as it rolled. He Perez suffered numerous injuries from this resulting in his death. Itzel Perez and her three children survived.

Both accidents were a result of frozen precipitation on the overpasses near Washington Street and Travis Street.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.